It has been noted, for example by Vice-President Biden on a number of occasions, that one of the stark things about the current crew or crop of Republicans, driven to right-wing edge of insanity by the Tea Party, is that they no longer try to hide their secret agendas or their dishonest and ruthless methods. This makes the job of Democrats a little easier in terms of pointing out to voters exactly how dangerously nutty Republicans sound (and are). But it also dumbs down and gutters down the political rhetoric, making blatant dishonesty, for example, seem normal and acceptable.

Asked if Republicans would interpret the reelection of President Obama as a signal the nation was voting in part to demand Republicans in Congress should compromise their hardline positions on taxes (that there should be no tax increases, even on the wealthy), House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said today on NBC's Meet the Press program that Republicans would "keep making empty promises to voters."